Current Research in Private International Law: Virtual Workshop with Michael Karayanni

 Tuesday, 3 June 2025, 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (CEST)

"Voice and Exit in Private International Law: The Case of the Israeli Inter-religious Regime"

About the Speaker:

Michael Karayanni is the Bruce W. Wayne Professor of Law at the Faculty of Law, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a Member of the Institut de Droit international. He held visiting positions at Birzeit University, Georgetown Law Center, Melbourne Law School, Stanford Law School, Yale Law School, University of Chicago Law School, Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin. His research interests are in private international law and inter-religious law, multiculturalism and civil procedure. Among his publications is Conflicts in Conflict, A Conflict of Laws Case Study of Israel and the Palestinian Territories (Oxford University Press, 2014); A Multicultural Entrapment, Religion and State Among the Palestinian-Arabs in Israel (Cambridge University Press, 2021); The Private International Law of Class Actions: A Functional Approach, 422 Recueil des course (2021). Karayanni received his LL.D from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and S.J.D from the University of Pennsylvania.

About the Topic:

Private international law can play a significant role in countries with inter-religious legal regimes by offering individuals an option to "exit" their personal religious law in favor of secular law in effect in a foreign country. My presentation will examine the development of the lex loci celebrationis choice of law rule within Israel's inter-religious regime. Additionally, it will investigate whether this development has empowered individuals with an adequate "voice" to challenge community-based religious norms.

About the Virtual Workshop Series:

The virtual workshop series “Current Research in Private International Law" is organised by Ralf Michaels and Philomena Hindermann. The series features guest speakers and Institute staff members who present and discuss their work on current developments and research topics in private international law. The workshops are geared to scholars who are researching in the field of private international law, but attendance is open to all individuals having an academic interest (including doctoral candidates and students).